DeWeeding Konoha
by silentE
Summary: At the request of XxDarkXBeautyxX, a oneshot centering on Shikamaru confronting the rookies about killing off Sasuke themselves, and then later on Ino confronting him about that decision.


**De-weeding Konoha**

"And that's why we must stop him ourselves," Shikamaru concluded his debriefing as he scanned the group of young shinobi gathered around him. Of course he never expected for any of them to jump with excitement at the news. Sasuke was after all an old comrade (friend would definitely be stretching the truth, at least where he was concerned), one whom he had willingly risked his own life to save just a few years earlier despite his already rather rotten opinion of the boy back then; but now the tables had turned and the truth of his defection had been learned. That is what made catching sight of her all the more difficult.

How could Ino still be pining away, no scratch that, sobbing over a traitor? If he remained there one minute more, Shikamaru was certain to witness the blonde's greatest breakdown ever and the clinching at his heart warned him that this was something he could not bear to see and so he chose to leave, using his need to transmit the same information to Sakura as an excuse to break with present company.

Making his way to speak with the pink-haired medic, he realized just what a pro he had become at avoiding Ino's reactions. He thought back to how he had conveniently snuck off before an old mission planning dinner with Sai insisting that he had to help his dad. Besides his innards had started to feel a bit queasy back then, strangely at about the same time as those two had met; it wouldn't have been a good idea to go anyway. No, he really couldn't stomach her fawning all over some new guy; but why did that even matter to him, he wondered.

Thinking back to her recent stream of tears, Shikamaru remembered spotting her in the waiting room at the hospital, sitting outside of Chouji's door after the first 'Sasuke' mission drying her eyes. He wanted nothing more than to go and check on the condition of his friend (even see how she was holding up too) but spying Ino's condition knew that stepping anywhere near her would only coax open the gates of her fury. She would surely have accused him of nearly getting their teammate killed and already feeling like a heel, did not need her to rub it in anymore and so he had turned tail and waited to visit Chouji , later in the evening, under much calmer conditions.

'Not good times,' he reflected, and he 'tsked' under his breath at all of the drama that jerk Sasuke could cause. What could she see in him when all he could see was the face of an arrogant, selfish bastard?

Shikamaru found Sakura in the presence of Shizune and Sai, the latter of whom, despite any ill feelings the shadow user might harbor towards the artist, seemed to be of the same mindset; it was their mission to bring Sasuke down- not Naruto's alone. It was about time that the village stopped relying on the kyuubi vessel to always come in for the rescue. This had been one of his own main arguments when Shino and Neji, the two "thinkers" of the group had questioned his reasoning.

He explained his intentions to Sakura and tears ensued. No, not more tears. Shikamaru was not good with tears (or emotional females); but facts were facts and everyone had seemed to understand the inevitable with little resistance- everyone in their group that is except for the two 'Sasuke crazy' girls.

"Listen, Sakura. It's like this. I'm gonna explain it in an around about way but try and imagine what would happen if the Cloud nation succeeded in killing Sasuke. Then you and Ino…" he sighed heavily at the thought, "and Naruto would take things into your own hands. The three of you would probably set out for revenge and get yourselves killed." He knew that one from experience, minus the deaths most fortunately. He certainly hadn't felt fool hearty when their little group had set out to avenge their fallen sensei.

"Then Chouji, Inoichi, your parents and I would want our revenge. The cycle would never end and eventually the whole of Konoha would be at war. Can you understand that?"

He was afraid that she would never quite grasp the concept but more importantly surprised himself when he realized the lengths to which he would go should anything ever happen to Ino until the truthful words had crossed his lips. What had happened to the lazy persona he once hid behind? He would maim, kill, even die for a… no, for this girl. No, there was no denying it. Things (or rather they) had definitely changed over the years. They were no longer children and nothing was quite like it had been before.

Sakura eventually regained her composure. Now everyone was aware of the new mission and pleased or not he would have their full cooperation- even Ino's or, so be it, he'd be damned.

XXXXX

A week had passed and Shikamaru had done everything in his power to avoid Ino. Surely she was still moping around, red-faced and teary-eyed, not a sight to behold, when word arrived back to the village- Sakura was going to go face-to-face with Sasuke.

Shikamaru's heart leapt at the news, not because of Sakura's boldness but at a sudden fear that Ino might have joined her in her stubbornness. Hadn't he predicted that Sakura, Naruto and Ino might go after him? He had to make sure that she was still in the village.

He bolted to the Yamanaka residence.

"This is a strange time to see you here," noted Inoichi. "She's up in her room. I'll go get her if it's really that important."

However, Inoichi returned without his daughter, distraught at the fact that she would fugue the premises without his knowledge.

Trying to reassure Ino's dad, Shikamaru suggested that he rest on the premises, should she return, while he did the footwork to hunt her down.

He knew that Ino feared nothing within the village walls; but what if she had ventured off without him? Her jutsu was useless without his own and was by far her best weapon, much superior to her taijutsu. Either way she was done for if he wasn't there to keep a watchful eye on her.

Shikamaru was about to sprint off once again on her trail when he caught a light peeking through the slats of the closed flower shop located below the Yamanaka family home.

Intuition compelled him to go there despite the lack of chakra flow.

He knocked softly at the door, not too certain who he would find inside, if anyone at all.

Several seconds later, the door cracked open to reveal a sharp, blue eye peeping out from behind familiar, golden bangs.

"Oh, Shikamaru," Ino let a breath of relief escape. "I'm glad it's just you. Come in." She opened the door just wide enough to grab his arm and pull him into the shop. "I just didn't want my folks to know I was down here. The shop's a nice place to be alone and think sometimes when it's after hours but I have to hide my chakra so they don't find out."

Shikamaru took a look around the shop. He spotted a partially made bouquet lying on the counter but no signs of a female breakdown in action. Maybe things weren't so bad.

"So… so you're not mad with me about the other day?" he asked, hoping that the news about Sakura hadn't reached her just yet and surprised that she hadn't slammed the door in his face just seconds earlier.

She walked back to the counter where she continued her arrangement and he followed.

"I won't lie and say that I wasn't upset but it wasn't at you, if that's what you think. I know you have to do what's right. There's no place for silly emotions when you're a ninja."

Whew! This was probably the most level-headed conversation he'd ever had with his teammate. At least it wasn't one focused on 'cute guys.'

She continued, "I've thought about this a lot and no matter what I could have ever felt for Sasuke it could never compare to the hate I feel for his organization. Every time I think of him I can only see Asuma. It's like he was the one holding the scythe, the one who k-kil… well, you understand, right?"

He did but he chose not to cut her off.

"It's kinda like these flowers," she explained. "They're not from the shop but I went out earlier to pick them. I just wanted to find a special bouquet for Asuma, you know, something more personal, and that's when I spotted these. They were lying in the shade of a branch of _Solanum dulcamara_. I doubt that name means anything to you but it's what's casually known as bitter nightshade, aka blue bindweed, aka poisonflower, aka, and best of all (as if it could get any worse,)" she almost chuckled to herself at the irony , "snakeberry… ."

"It was when I saw the flowers I wanted for Asuma and then the bitter nightshade just above them, taking away their sunlight, that something snapped inside of me and I realized just how much Sasuke and everything he might have meant to me is just like _Solanum dulcamara_. It always looks very lovely when it's in bloom. The petals have a beautiful purplish tint (a color I love) and kids will often pick a few for their moms when they want to make a bouquet. They're really hard to resist; but in fact," she snickered, "bitter nightshade is nothing more than an attractive weed, a rather poisonous (even deadly) but still highly attractive weed and somehow, I get this feeling that I was that naïve child out looking for what she thought was a precious flower. I wanted the prettiest bouquet to show off to the world, but it turns out that the flower I had set out to collect back then was nothing to be proud of."

She appeared lost in thought, as she decided whether she should venture further with her thoughts. Shikamaru nodded, encouraging her to continue: "You know after having lost Asuma, I realized that if anything were ever to happen to Chouji or…" she paused in a fashion that reminded Shikamaru very much of own his conversation when he had confronted Sakura earlier in the week, "or you … well I just don't know what I'd do." She displayed a strange grin and when she looked up at him he noticed a single tear that was making its way down her left cheek. Before he even realized, he found himself wiping it gingerly away with his thumb, his hand falling back softly to his side and back into his pocket as per his usual stance.

She smiled at the gesture but felt a bit ashamed to be showing such emotion in front of him once more, especially after just going on about 'silly emotions' in their line of work. "I know none of that made any sense to you," she sighed. "I know that _I_ don't make any sense to you, but thanks for hearing me out." She put the final wrap on her flowers.

Admittedly, he wouldn't have worded it nearly quite the same and never with the same 'flowery' speech, even if he knew the plant in question well. It was a species he had to steer the deer away from because of its high toxicity. Nonetheless, every syllable had hit home and he understood quite clearly what Ino was feeling.

"I wanted to deliver these to Asuma tonight. Would you like to come?"

"Yeah, I think that'd be a good idea," he acquiesced. Visiting Asuma's grave in her company might help to calm his guilty soul from the memory of skipping the actual funeral, which had once again partially been an attempt to sidestep the troubling emotions of his female teammate, glossed over at the time by his true chagrin.

They walked in silence to their teacher's grave where Ino delicately placed the bouquet she had prepared.

Shikamaru and Ino stood side by side, resting still in quiet thought, when Ino reached boldly over and took his hand. A wave of contentment spread over the boy at the soft, warm contact and he understood that he would, with time, learn to digest the fear that she always stirred within him.

On her end, she spoke as if she had never finished her speech back at the flower shop: "Besides, Konoha has bred many flowers, some less showy but far more special and then," she gave his hand a meaningful squeeze, "it's only after you pull out the weeds that you become aware of the magnificent garden that was always there."

* * *

FIN


End file.
